The NewsDemon Blog

According to a post found on USENET Newsgroups, Pando Networks has released a study of internet speeds in different countries. South Korea came in first, while the United States finished 26^th according to the study. The researchers looked at 27 million downloads by 20 million computers located around the world in 224 countries. The research was collected from January to June of this year.

The study showed that the average download speed among all countries is 580 KBps. The US came in with an average download speed of 616 KBps. In contrast, South Korea had an average download speed of 2,202 KBps, while Romania and Bulgaria finished second and third with 1,909 KBps and 1,611 KBps, respectively.

The Congo finished last in the study with average download speeds of 13 KBps, followed by the Central African Republic at 14 KBps.

Some blame a lack of competition thanks to tossing out of “competitive broadband safeguards such as open-access requirements, which opened lines to other providers,” according to aFree Press Campaign Director Tim Karr in an article on CommonDreams.org. Karr argues that this “went against the long-held assumption that open communications in competitive markets were essential to economic growth and innovation.” Meanwhile, competition in Europe and Asia has led to better service, availability and speed.

Usenet is an open communications forum in which people around the world may share ideas and communicate across cultures. In the United States, download speeds on Usenet are only limited by the connection speed of the internet service provider (ISP).